I don’t know why I wait so long to blog that I’m overflowing with news. I need to blog more often so as not to overwhelm myself.Would you all keep me accountable in this area, and pray for me if you can? As much as is possible, I like to live a transparent life and keep everyone around me fully engaged…so as to make real friendships.Shallow, surface, connections are undesirable to me…but I digress.

Upcoming Raw Recipe Nights

The first thing I want to talk with all of you about is my upcoming Raw Recipe Nights.Let’s talk about Asian foods!This Saturday and the following Tuesday are RRN’s Asian Entrées and Appetizers. We will learn how to make an Orange Broccoli dish that is a great entree, appetizer or side, a Lemon Lettuce Wrap that is full of nutrition but you will want to lick your plate afterward, and an Oriental Noodle dish that will remind you of cooked Asian meals.I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it if you would RSVP and let me know if you were absolutely coming.I’ve gotten used to people letting me know the day of that they can and cannot make it, but its hard to plan that way. But, I don’t want to discourage anyone from not attending simply because their schedule is a little more spontaneous than mine. ;)These two RRNs are both on the west side in Peoria, see my website for the exact address.

New Location in the East Valley!

Exciting news!!!I have a third location for my Raw Recipe Nights!My good friend David has volunteered his home in Scottsdale as a prime location for a RRN. August 21st will be the debut RRN, in the afternoon.We will be doing something a little different at this location: learning three recipes, but also having a small lecture/Q&A session.It will be a three hour class instead of the customary RRN…and it will also be in the afternoon instead of the evening.For that time period, the price has also changed.It will be $40 at the door and $30 prepaid, to encourage people to pay ahead of time and reserve their spot.This location has a bit of a cap, so I literally can’t allow a large amount of people…we need to keep it cozy and intimate. The theme for the evening will be crackers and dips.I’ll be demonstrating two different types of hummus, two garlicy spreads, and a simple and easy way to make crackers.Everyone will have plenty to snack on and take home, and I’ll be selling some dips and crackers as well.

Can you believe that my Raw Recipe Nights first became public and I started this business three months ago?Already I have three locations (with a fourth vying for my business) in which to hold Raw Recipe Nights, I have two clients whom I work with one-on-one, and I have an UnCookBook due at the end of the month! CRAZY!

Q&A

I have had lots of questions lately, some of which I’ll save for the next newsletter (if you haven’t received a copy, make sure you email me with your info so I can send you one!), but I’ll go over a few with you right now. Q:My first green smoothie was less than appetizing.Do you have any green smoothie recipes for beginners?

A:The main beginner blunder when making green smoothies is the attempt to add far more greens than your body is comfortable with.I did the same thing with my first green smoothie.I thought 2-3 cups of greens was very little compared to the 3-4 cups of fruit I had put into my Vitamix. I could barely choke it down and was completely discouraged. The second mistake I made was not adding enough water and it being more like pudding than something I could drink down easily. When I say to have one part greens and two parts fruit, I mean it! Also…a friend mentioned the fact that it felt wasteful to put so much fruit into a smoothie when she enjoyed simply eating the fruit.I would suggest you use fruit that you aren’t as enthusiastic about for your smoothies and save the savory fruit to eat whole. Say you love apple slices, enjoy those by yourself.Not a big fan of melon? Pears? Try them in a smoothie and you’ll feel less wasteful.I LOVE to put overripe fruit in my smoothies…things like mushy bananas, bruised pears, old and rock hard oranges.They are still nutritious, yet unpalatable.What better way to eat them, than by blending them into a full meal?

Here are some easy beginner green smoothie recipes:

1 cup spinach, 3 bananas, 1 cup water

1 cup swiss chard, 2 pears, 2 apples, 1 banana, 1 cup water

1 cup kale, ½ pineapple, 1 pear, 1 cup water

1 cup spinach, 2 cups blueberries, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup water

1 cup swiss chard, 2 cups melon, 1 pear.

I find that spinach, swiss chard, and kale are the mildest of greens (besides many wild edible greens like purslane and lambsquarters), and I always love bananas in my smoothies as it makes it nice and creamy and provides a wonderful sweetness.I know many people aren’t as big of fans of bananas, so I included some non-banana smoothie recipes. Again, make these to your tastes…if they aren’t sweet enough then experiment and throw another piece of fruit in.

NONE of this is going to waste.Your body will get all the nutrition and will use it!None of us chew our food to a creamy consistency before we swallow it, which is what the blender does, so we are losing lots of nutrition simply by chewing improperly.So if you buy a bunch of fruit and it all goes into the blender…think of it as one large (or two) meals and your body is receiving lots of protein, calcium, iron (from those awesome greens), as well as tons of vitamins and minerals that aren’t found in anything processed (even if it’s “fortified”).

Q: Just a quick question about where to find cheap produce: what's the easiest way you've found for price comparing? I'm trying to conserve money as much as possible right now and I'm going to have to start looking for cheaper than the most convenient.

A: Here is what I do and it's what I personally know about. First: google map the grocery stores in your area (simply to get a list, whether you would go to them or not). Then, see if they all have online ads (most do). Then, for each ad, do a search for produce. Start comparing them to one another and you'll find which stores have the cheapest produce on a regular basis. You can either go to the cheaper stores and do your shopping there, or make a list of all the stores and the produce that you like at the cheapest prices. Take your list to a Super Walmart (that sells produce) and they will match those prices for you.

For example in my area of Phoenix: We have Bashas, Frys, Albertsons, Sprouts, Walmart, Food City, Ranch Market, Safeway, and Trader Joes.Through searching in their online ads, I’ve found that Food City and Ranch Market sell produce for at least half, if not more, the price of the other supermarkets. So I take those specials to Walmart and they sell me things like bananas for a quarter a pound, peaches for a quarter a pound, cherries for .69 a pound.Of course, this is all conventional produce, not organic.I check Bashas, Safeway, the higher end stores for their organic produce sales and see if Walmart sells organic (which most in my area do).OR, if I have time I will drive down to a Ranch Market and buy their produce, as there is much that is NOT in their online ad that is still ridiculously inexpensive. So, check in your area and find who sells the cheaper produce.

ALSO!!! Google CSA or Farmer’s market or orchards or farm in your area.Call or stop by and see if they are organic, what their prices are, and if it’s a CSA, how much produce you will get for your investment. When I was in Pennsylvania I found a wonderful little farm that had a farm stand and a U-pick (usually even cheaper) that was all organic.It is where I purchased almost all my produce and it was wonderfully priced. Always support local produce, it’s healthier for you and it’s closer to the earth (better for everyone!).

Next Blog Post Okay, I believe that’s everything for tonight.Tomorrow or the next day I’ll be blogging about Christian Stewardship.My friend asked me how I believe it ties into diet and health and I will be responding for everyone to read. I’ll also be praying that the words flow from God through me so that it might be understandable and relatable. J

Great green smoothie ideas, especially the bit about using fruits that one does not like the most in them. A great idea to focus on mixing in a few fruits that I don't like that much such as blueberries into the smoothies where I won't notice them as much as a healthier alternative to just avoiding them.

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About the Blogger

Haley is passionate about Raw Food and how God has used it to heal her. She loves to share what she knows with anyone who is curious, and finds herself talking to everyone around her about her lifestyle.

God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. (2 Corinthians 3-7)

This Scripture applies to every area of life that Haley is passionate about. In order to be grateful, confidant, and assured of anything in your life...it must be tested and proved. That testing is never easy and rarely pleasant...but it IS purposeful. She now can take the comfort that God has given her and share it with you. Amen!